Shock absorber



A. J. PERKINS SHOCK ABSORBER Filed May 4, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In Vantor U1 tt orne r Oct. 16, 1923.

' 1,470,931 A. J. PERKINS SHOCK ABSORBER Filed May 4. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Flu f NZ a In 2/22 0 r A.

flitorney Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. PERKINS, OF HAMBURG, NEW YORK.

snocx ansommn.

Application filed Kay 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the village of Hamburg, Erie County, andState of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inShock Absorbers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My device relates in general to shock absorbers and more particularly tohydraulic shock absorbers.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide an eflicientdevice of this nature which shall permit unrestrained action of theparts in one direction and shall offer a regulatable resistance againstmovement in the opposite direction.

Other objects are to provide a device which'shall be compact in design;one simple and chea to manufacture; and one with com aratlvely fewparts, whereby the device shali not easily get out of working order.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a device. all partsof which shall be efficiently sealed against leakage of the fluid...

. Moreover, my device is provided with convenient means on the exteriorfor adjusting the amountof resistance offered to the moving parts,whereby it may be easily and quickly adjusted to different requirements.

Furthermore, my device isof such a design that the movement of the partsto which the device is attached with respect to the moving parts of thedevice isdivided.

The above objects and advantages haye been accomplished by the deviceshown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation of an automobile chassis,showing my device attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of my device, taken on thecenter-line thereof.

Fig. "3 is a sectional, plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary, sectional view, showing some oftheparts in different positions from those shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is'a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of a modified form of mydevice.

I will first describe the form of invention shown in Figs. 2 to 5. Inthis form, my invention comprises a; casing 10 having a 1921. Serial No.466,834.

depending cylinder 11, made preferably an integral part thereof. 12 is acylinder plug which is referably screw-threaded into the lower en of thecylinder 11, whereby this end is closed. Mounted within the cylinder 11is a piston 13 which is provided with a plurality of apertures 14 formedthrough its ead. A recess 15 is provided in the lower side of thepiston, thus forming a shoulder 72. A- metallic disc 16 is mounted inthis recess and forms a valve for. closing the apertures 14 in thepiston head. A central aperture 17 is formed'in the disc 16, forpurposes to be hereinafter described. A retaining ring 18 is disposedwithin an annular groove formed in the recess 15 and arranged somedistance below its upper end. This retaining ringv prevents the disc 16from falling out of the recess 15, and maintains it in such a positionthat, when the piston is moving downwardly, the disc will be movedupwardly to close the apertures 14. A plurality of axial grooves 19 arearranged in the periphery of the recess 15, which with 'the aperture 17,form outlets for the fluid when the piston is moved upwardly.

Arranged above the piston 14 is a plurality of baflle discs 20 and 21.These discs are held in'interspaced relation by means of rings 22, whichare sprung into grooves formed in the upper end of the cylinder. Each ofthe discs 20 and 21 is provided with a plurality of apertures 23. Theapertures in the disc 20 are arranged in staggered relation with theapertures in t-hedisc 21. This permits the fluid to pass upwardly out ofthe cylinder, but prevents its bein thrown up into the casing by a quickupward movement of the piston.

The cylinder 11 is provided with a vertically arranged fluid by-pass 24,which is connected at its lower end to the interior of the cylinder bymeans of a port 25 and at its upper end to the interior of the cylinderby a port 26. The port 26 is arranged at such a point that it will beexposed when the piston is in its maximum upward position. Arranged:opposite the port 26 is a regulating screw 27. "The inner end of thisscrew is preferably spherical in shape, and the effective area of theopening in the port 26 may be conveniently regulated by a movement ofthis screw. A look nut 28 serves to retain the screw in its adjustedposition.

A piston rod 29 is secured at its lower end to the g ston 14 and passesup into the casing 10. he upper portion 30 of the rod is preferablysquare-shape in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and this portion ofthe rod is slidably mounted in a suitable bearing 31. The portion 30 ofthe rod is provided at one side with a gear rack 32. A gearsegment 33 isformed on the inner end of an operating arm 34 The operating arm ispivotally united to the casing 10 by means of a pivot bolt 35. Thegear'segment 33 is in engagement with the gear rack 32. The inner end ofthe operating arm 34 passes through a slot 36 formed in the casing 10,

and a sleeve 37 of flex'ible material is preferably provided over theslot 36 whereby all dust and dirt will be prevented from coming intocontact with the working parts of the device. Arranged in the upper endof the opening 38. formed by the bearing 31, is a plug 39. This plugserves to close the opening against any dust or dirt. When each havingan aperture 44, whereby the device may be secured in position.

The device may be attached in any one of a number of Ways, but I preferthe method shown in Fig. 1. In this figure, 45 represents the frame; 46the spring; and

47 the axle of the chassis to which the device is shown attached. Asshown here, I preferably provide an angle plate 48 having itshorizontally arranged leg secured under the spring clips 49, thevertical leg of the angle being cut away so as to clear the clips. Tothe rearwardly extending vertical leg 50 of the angle iron, I secure thecasing of my device. The outer end of the operating arm 34 is connectedpreferably by a ball and socket joint to the lower end of a link 51. Theupper end of the link is likewise connected by means of a ball andsocket joint to the frame 45. If desired the angle iron may be arrangedbeneath the spring or the device may be attached in any suitable waydirectly to the axle 47.

In the form ofthe device shown in Fig. 6, the casing 55 is provided inits lower portion with a screw-threaded aperture, I in which thecylinder 56 is screwed. In this form the piston 57 is similar to thatalready described, and shows the use of a piston ring 58 for sealing thepiston. 59 is the piston rod which is provided at its upper end with agear; rack 60 engageable with a gear segment 61, carried at the innerend of the operating arm 62. 63 is the pivot pin. 64

is a piston rod guide, which is arranged in the upper end of thecylinder and is provided with a plurality of apertures 65, through whichthe fluid may pass without restriction. A baflle plate 66 is arranged inthe upper end of the cylinder. is disposed some distance above theapertures in the piston rod guide 64; and it is provided with a centralaperture 67. This aflie disc 66 prevents the fluid from being thrownupwardly from the apertures 65. 68 is the fluid by-pass; and 69 is theadjusting screw A filler opening is provided for the casing 55, which ispreferably closed by means of a plug 70.

Since the operation of both forms of my invention is identical, I, willdescribe the operation of only that form shown in Figs.

2 to 5,inclusive. Before the device is to be put into use, the cylinderis filled with fluid, preferably glycerine, through the opening 38. Whenso filled the cap 39 is placed in position and the device is ready foruse.

It will be seen that when the operating arm 34 and the piston are movingin the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 2, the disc 16 will be heldtightly against the shoulder 72 by the fluid and the apertures 14 willbe sealed, so,.that the piston will act to force the fluid out of thelower end of the cylinder. The fluid thus placed under pressure, willpass through port 25, fluid by-pass 24, through the port 26. The screw27 having been previously adjusted, the flow of the material through theopening 26 will be restricted, and the pressure produced in the lowerend of the cylinder may be thus regulated for different conditions. Fromthe port-26 the fluid will, of course, flow on top of thepiston 14. Whenthe piston is reversed in direction and moved as indicated by the arrowin Fig. 4, the disc 16 willmove downwardly and rest upon the ring 18,thus uncovering the openings 14, and allowing the fluid to pass throughsaid openings from the upper end of the cylinder to the lower endthereof without restriction. Whenever the piston is reversed indirection the disc is quickly forced upwardly and seated so as to closethe apertures 14 and the device will then operate under the pressureconditions just above described and will prevent the rebound of thesprings of the chassis to which the devices are attached.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and describedmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the appended claims; and, I donot, therefore, wish to belimited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the formdescribed This plate a aevdeer thereof. 1

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A shock absorber characterized by hav- 7 ing a cylinder, a pistonslidably mounted in the cylinder and formed with valvedopentherethrough, the cylinder being provi ed with a flu1d by-pass,means for regulating the openings 1n the by-pass, and rack. andpinionmcans for actuating the piston.

2. A shock absorber characterized by hav-- ing a casing, a cylindercarried by the easing, a piston slidabl mounted in the c linder, andformed. wit valved'ope nings t ere-q through, a iston rod slidablymounted in the casing, t e cylinder being provided with a fluid by-pass,means for regulating the opening in the b -pass, a r rack formed on thepiston an operatin arm pivotally mounted in the casing, an a gearsegment actuated b the operating arm and engageable with-t e'rack.

3. A shock rber characterized by having a cylinder, a piston slidablmounted in the cylinder and formed wit openings through its head,-'adisc carried by the ision for closing the openings thereof, the cy inderbeing formed with a fluidby-pass means for regulatin theopening in theby-pass, and rack an pinion means for actuating the piston. 7

4. A shock absorber characterized by having a cylinder, a pistonslidably mounted in the cylinder, the piston being formed with openingsthrough its head and a recess in its bottom, an apertured disc mounted.for limited motion in the recess, the recess being provided with outletgrooves in its periphery, the cylinder being formed with a fluidbyass,,means for regulating the opening in t e by-pass, and rack andpinion means for actuating the piston.

5. A shock absorber characterized by having a cylinder, a pistonslidably mounted in the cylinder and formed-with valved openingstherethrough, baflie plates arranged above the piston, the cylinderbeing provided with a fluid by-pass, means for regulating the opening inthe by-pass, and rack and pinion means for actuating the piston.

in a pistonsli ably mounted in the cylin er, and formed with valvedopenings therethrough, a piston rod slidably mounted in the casmg,bafiie plates arranged above they piston, the cylinder being providedwith a fluid by-pass means for regulating the opening in the -pass, agear rack formed on the piston rod, an operating arm pivsegment actuatedby the operating arm and engageable with the rack.

A shock absorber characterized by having a casing, a cylinder carried bythe casing, a iston slidabl mounted in the cylinder an formed witopenings through its head, a disc carried by the piston for closin theopening thereof, a piston rod slid- -means or actuating the piston.

6. A shock absorber characterized by having a casing, a cylinder carriedby the eas- .otally mounted in the casing, and a gear 9. A shockabsorber characterized by hav- I I ing a cylinder, a piston slidablymounted in the cylinder and formed with valved open:

ings .therethrough, baflie plates arrangedabove the piston, the cylinderbeing provided with a fluid by-pass, means for regulating the opening inthe bypass, and means for actuating the piston.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ALFRED J. PERKINS.

